For those who consider cats family members, it is almost unimaginable that some people dislike or may even hate them. But even if we do not understand why some people may not like the traits common to most cats, there are still several logical reasons to avoid these animals.
Cat Allergy
Cat fur and the fur of other pets are not actually to blame; the triggers that people react to are the proteins released by the skin. People with cat allergies may also react to protein molecules that are released in a cat's saliva or urine.
Cat allergies can be severe enough to cause an anaphylactic reaction, very similar to life-threatening allergies to nuts and other foods. It can even lead to airway obstruction, requiring emergency medical attention.
Territory Extends Beyond the Household
If given the chance, most cats prefer to relieve themselves outdoors in rich, deep garden soil, even if that soil is in a neighbor's yard. Outdoor cats leave their waste exposed as a territorial marking to convey information to other cats in the area. Neighboring households will not be spared, as cats do not understand property boundaries or other yard limits.
Cats also often spray urine on the outside walls and doors of other houses nearby to mark their external territories. This creates two separate issues when indoor cats either observe an outside cat through a window or smell the pungent odor of urine:
Redirected Aggression: When an indoor cat sees a stranger in the yard, it may instinctively behave aggressively towards the nearest available cat, possibly one of its innocent housemates.
Territorial Spraying: Similarly, if a strange cat is bold enough to spray the door from outside, the cat that lives there will instinctively mark the inside of the same door.
Bird Killing
Cats are predators. Whether a cat lives exclusively indoors, roams freely, or is feral and stray, birds and mice are a cat's favorite prey. Consider adding birdhouses and nesting materials to your outdoor environment while also providing cats with more opportunities for activities beyond wildlife. Cats enjoy watching bird feeders through the window.
Biting and Scratching
Aggressive scratching and biting are instilled in cats very early, during kittenhood. Cats that are taught that human hands are toys often bite their owners' hands when they grow up.
People who dislike cats may have had a negative experience interacting with a small kitten when they were young children; an adult should always be present to teach the child and kitten safe play rules. Many young families even give up their first cat due to these misunderstood childhood scratches or bites.
Complicated Relationships with Humans
Compared to submissive and cheerful dogs, cats may seem ungrateful. However, in nature, cats and dogs have led completely different lifestyles. Dogs evolved to live in family packs, as teamwork was required for hunting large prey. Wild cats eat smaller prey and evolved to be solitary hunters and fishers. Yet it is that same independent nature of cats that makes them very easily adaptable to our changing environment and daily routines.
As long as cats interact with humans as kittens, they can form close bonds with their people. But when a self-sufficient independent cat behaves reservedly, it is often related to the arrival of a new person in the home.
Even a shy cat is observant and assesses the relative safety of newcomers. If a cat has time to learn, it will typically accept them as a friend and a reliable caregiver.
